Napoleon Hill says "definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement," and my personal definiteness of purpose--seeking freedom--was the starting point of my achievement.
I was born in an impoverished family in one of the poorest countries on earth-Cambodia. Ever since I was very young, I knew nothing about freedom or prosperity, but fears and poverty.
Going to elementary school was an option not mandatory... And you need to walk, run, and swim miles though the jungle risking your life from predators like wild animals and from being kidnapped. Yet I managed to transform all of those fear by applying faith. How? By believing in myself and in the Universal Power that was bigger than mine.
I made powerful rainstorms and deafning thunderstorms to become softest rainfalls and beautiful musics. I converted rice and dried fish and a bowl of dirty water to become the most delicious feast and holy water from heaven. All of that was done inside my mind's eye by envisioning freedom: freedom from fears, wants and oppressions. I saw it perfectly clear in my mind every moments of my life.
When I was sent away to become "a pagoda dog," in a Buddhist Temple, I excelled the bullies with my perseverance and left them behind. When I was sent to war as a kid, fighting the communists, I fought days and nights with "freedom" as my guidance counselor. I outlived the many fighters.
When Cambodia lost the war to the Communists, millions were expelled from our home to work in labor camps. This man, Pol Pot, sent millions of Cambodians to be executed. I was one of his victims. But, with the picture of freedom inside my head, I escaped his rounds of bullets Matrix style and continued my journey for months trough the deepest jungles of Cambodia. I survived the many captures, the millions of land minds, the wild animals, the valleys, the mountains and landed in FREEDOM exactly 4 months after my journey began.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to succeed, keep your definiteness of purpose-the biggest dream you have--in front of you all the time. Hear it, see it, smell it, taste it, feel it and think about it in every breath you take. You can turn every adversity to advantage by using your biggest dream as the guidance.
I told this story in Ireland during our leader and instructor certification trip. My late friend and one of my heroes Tom Cunningham encouraged me to write a book.... then he introduced me to my next friend and hero Taylor Tagg. Taylor just donated one of his kidneys on behalf of my son Anthony who is still recuperating now. We then put our story together into one of the Amazon International Bestselling books called Adversity to Advantage...
You can click on the link to buy this book online or you may contact me at Timothychhim@aol.com to purchase a signed copy. Thank you.
